Seeds and Plants

r. i. -20. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. SECTION OF SKKI) AND PLANT INTRODUCTION. INVENTORY NO. 8. SEEDS AND PLANTS, IMI'ORTED FOR DISTRIBUTION IN COOPERATION WITH THE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. NUMBE11S 3401-4350. 10183—00 1 INVENTORY OF FOREIGN SEEDS AND PLANTS. INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT. This inventory or catalogue of seeds and plants includes a number of exceptionally valuable items collected by the Agricultural Explorers of the Section of Seed and Plant Introduction. There is an interesting and valuable series of economic plants of the most varied uses procured by the Hon. Harbour Lathrop, of Chicago, assisted by Mr. David G. Fairchild. Mr. W. T. Swingle has continued his work in Algeria, Sicily, and Turkey, and this list contains many of his importations. There are also a number of donations from various sources, and a few seeds purchased directly from the growers. The following importations represent perhaps the most valuable of the many interesting novelties here described: Mr. Swingle's collection of improved varieties of the date palm, procured in Algeria; a collection of spineless cacti from the Argentine Republic secured by Messrs. Lathrop and Fairchild, which may become valuable forage plants in the arid Southwest; genge clover, a leguminous forage crop and green manure which is grown in the rice fields of Japan as a winter soil cover and fertilizer; a collection of broad beans from England, this vegetable being practically unknown in the United States, although extensively used in Europe and on the Continent; a new seedless raisin grape from Italy for the raisin growers of California and Arizona; a little sample of wheat from Peru, donated by Dr. Cisneros, Secretary of the National Agricultural Society of Lima, a variety which was grown at an altitude of over 11,000 feet in the Andes, and which may prove both interesting and valuable in some locality in the Rocky Mountains; a large number of desert forage plants and saltbushes from an extremely arid region in the Northern Territory of South Aus- tralia; the Kirkagatch muskmelon, said to be one of the finest sorts grown in Asia Minor; Jannovitch cotton, a new Egyptian strain, secured in sufficient quantity for an extensive distribution; and the Khiva winter muskmelon, which was grown in Utah from seed orig- inally imported from Khiva by Prof. N. E. Hansen. Other collections of interest are: A new macaroni wheat from Chili; Mr. Swingle's extensive collections of economic plants from Algeria, 3 and of edible cacti from Sicily; anew blood orange from Sicily; yams from Venezuela for our tropical possessions; some native forage plants from Brazil; new rices from Egypt; shade trees for semiarid regions from the Argentine Republic; cashew nuts from Jamaica; vegetables and flowers from Smyrna and Turkey; olives from Greece; mangoes from Trinidad; a miscellaneous collection from Manila; vegetables from Italy, Bulgaria, and Peru; the algarroba bean from Peru, similar to the mesquite bean of Texas, and to the algarroba of the Hawaiian Islands, an exceptionally line forage plant for arid regions; a collection of millets and beans from China; sugar beets from France, Germany, and Russia; Egyptian clover and horse beans, which supply practically all of the forage grown in the valley of the Nile; a wild potato from Mexico, said to possess superior flavor; a new vetch from Algeria, perhaps superior in many points to the hairy vetch; a collection of nearly all the native legumes of Italy; a new blackberry from Mexico; a grass for shaded lawns from France. The publication of this list has been considerably belated, and many of the numbers are entirely exhausted. Nevertheless, the notes in regard to such will undoubtedly prove an assistance to agricultural experimenters in many lines. Records are kept of the source and origin of each item listed. It will therefore be possible, in most instances, to obtain an additional quantity at least for the use of workers at the agricultural experiment stations, provided there is sufficient and justifiable demand for another importation. Many of the forms and varieties are not, strictly speaking, new introductions. However, these are often desirable for special pur- poses; for example, for the use of plant breeders in creating new strains by crossing and selection, or for students of particular groups, who require a large number of species, varieties, and forms in their work on the improvement of cultivated plants. Wherever possible, the first choice will be extended to the cow^orkers in the various divisions of the Department of Agriculture and in the experiment stations. The quantities of seeds and plants secured are usually small and are entirely insufficient for indiscriminate distribution. In cases where an importation proves of value after trial, a larger quantity may be secured for more general distribution, through the agency of the experiment stations, in the region in which the plant has shown niarked iniprovement over existing varieties. But where a new crop is once established, and has become so well-known that it is amply handled by the trade, no further importations for free distribution, at least in that region, will be made. The expense for exploration in foreign countries in search of varieties of cultivated crops better than those already established in the United States properly devolves upon the Department of Agricul- ture. It may also sometimes prove profitable to reintroduce forms which have been tried without success in one portion of the land provided new facts as to the method of cultivation and adaptability to soils and climate are determined pointing to the possible success of the crop in special regions possessing- the requisite natural environment. In such cases the endeavor to reestablish a decadent farming industry may best be undertaken with the assistance of the trained workers of the experiment stations. If these experimenters report favorably in regard to new or little known vegetables, grains, and Held crops, a larger distribution can be made to bring the crop again to the atten- tion of the farmer. Because of the increasing scope of the work, due to the numerous seeds and plants procured, it is especially important that corre- spondents retain the original number under which the seed is distributed. The report blanks will bear numbers corresponding to those of the inventory. The information supplied by experimenters will, by following this system, become easily accessible. The information given in regard to each of the following numbers has been compiled mainly from notes supplied by the explorer or by the person who donated or secured the seeds. We are especially indebted to Mr. W. T. Swingle and Mr. D. G. Fairchild for the very full descriptive notes which accompany their importations. JARED G. SMITH, Chiefs Section of Seed and Plant hitroduction, WASHINGTON, D. C, Jwtmary 1, 1901. INVENTORY. 3401. SOLANUM. From Costa Rica. Received through Mr. C. Werckle, 1899. " A more or less trailing, annual species, very fertile; fruit about the size of small Chickasaw plums, green, with dark brown stripes (from black green to violet brown); in racemes of from 4 to 8; drops when ripe and keeps for weeks; gets soft; skin semi- transparent. Not edible when raw; makes very good pies that remind one of gooseberry." (Werckle.) 3402. PHCENIX DACTYLIFERA. Date. From Algeria. Received through Mr. W. T. Swingle, June, 1899. Presented by Dr. Trabut. Thmoml de Touttt.l Distributed. 3403. TRITICUM DURUM. Wheat. From Chili. Received through Messrs. Lathrop and Fairchild, June, 1899. Trigo Candeal. "Macaroni wheat. This durum wheat is rather commonly grown in Chili and Argentina. It is chiefly valuable for the production of macaroni. It has long, compact, bearded heads and yellowish-white hard grains. It will probably be resistant to drought and orange-leaf rust. Adapted for growing in dry, hot, districts such as west Texas and the drier portions of Colorado, Kansas, and Okla- homa. South of the thirty-fifth parallel it should be grown as a winter wheat, sown October 15 to November 15; north of this line it will probably not stand the winter, and should be sown February 15 to March 1." (Carletun.) Distributed. 3404. TRITICUM VULGARE. Wheat. From Chili. Received through Messrs. Lathrop and Fairchild, 1899. Trigo Blanco. Soft wheat. (For the Pacific coast,) 3405. CERATONIA SILIQUA. Carob bean. From Algeria. Received through Mr. \V. T. Swingle, April, 1899. Young carob seedlings, for use as stocks on which to graft improved varieties. (See No. 3112, Inventory No. 7.) 3406. PALIURUS ACULEATUS. Christ's-thorn. From Algeria, Received through Mr. W. T. Swingle, April, 1899. "A half hardy, thorny, deciduous shrub or small tree, growing from 15 to 30 feet high, native of southern Europe and western Asia, It belongs to the buck-thorn family (Rhamnacj'x), and bears curious buckler-shaped fruits. From its resem- blance to a hat, the French call the plant porte-chnpeaux. Christ's-thorn is abundant in southern France in dry situations. It is particularly abundant in calcareous soils. It is reproduced by suckers." (Siringle.) " It grows about the same height as the common thorn on rocky, sterile places. In many parts of Italy hedges are formed of this plant," (London.) Distributed. 1 The varietal name where known is italicized. 3407. PIIYLLOSTACTIYS NTGRA. Bamboo. From Algeria. Received through Mr. Wr. T. Swingle, April, 1899. '* This hardy bamboo from China and Japan reaches a height of from 20 to 30 feet if planted in good soil. The steins are remarkable for their shiny black color, which gives a very striking effect to the group of plants. They are sometimes three-fourths of an inch or more in diameter, and are used in making canes, umbrella handles, etc.

Load more